Raisi experienced the incident while he was returning from neighbouring Azerbaijan. Iran’s state television reported that the incident occurred near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, approximately 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran. There is currently no information available regarding whether President Raisi or any other individuals on board the helicopter sustained injuries during the incident.

Raisi’s helicopter crashes: Here’s what we know so far

  • The area experienced heavy rainfall and fog, accompanied by strong winds, which may have contributed to the crash or, as some media outlets described it, a “hard landing.”
  • Along with Ebrahim Raisi, the chopper carried Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the province governor of East Azarbaijan, Malek Rahmati, and several other important officials.
  • Reporters were informed by an unidentified Iranian official that Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian’s lives were “at risk following the helicopter crash”.
  • The official, who spoke to Reuters under condition of anonymity, said, “We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning.”
  • The search and rescue team may need more time to reach the crash scene because of the severe weather, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Iran’s national television.
  • According to IRNA, he also expressed hope that the team will arrive at the location shortly and provide more details.
  • According to a Fars news agency correspondent, visibility in the forested and mountainous region was reduced to only roughly five metres, as reported by the BBC.
  • The Iranian army’s chief of staff issued an order to employ all available resources, including those of the elite Revolutionary Guard, for search and rescue missions.
  • Three convoys included Raisi’s chopper. The Tasnim news agency reports that the other two had arrived at their destination without incident.
  • Iran operates a range of helicopters, but getting spare parts for them is challenging due to international sanctions. Its fleet of military aircraft likewise predates the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in most cases.